Uninstall Google Software Update on Mac OS X

02 Feb 2009 6 Comments

After trying out the Macintosh versions of Picasa and Google Quick Search Box, the Google Software Updater keeps popping up even after I uninstalled both applications.

Usually uninstalling a Mac application is as simple as dragging the .app file (‘Picasa.app‘ and ‘Quick Search Box.app‘) into the Trash, but in this case some extra work was needed:

According to Google’s support pages, uninstalling Google Software Update involves running one of the commands mentioned below on the command line:

Uninstall Google Software Update for the current user only:

sudo ~/Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/
  GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle/Contents/Resources/
  GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent.app/Contents/Resources/
  install.py --uninstall

Uninstall Google Software Update for all users:

sudo /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/
  GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle/Contents/Resources/
  GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent.app/Contents/Resources/
  install.py --uninstall

 

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6 Responses to “Uninstall Google Software Update on Mac OS X”

  1. Peet de Vos Reply 10 Apr 2009 at 08:22

    Thanks, I needed this today. I’m not loading Google software again.

  2. Tim Reply 05 May 2009 at 17:48

    Thanks for the help! Wish google han’t made running my mac as complicated as running a PC.

  3. captain Reply 13 May 2009 at 11:06

    … and why would I trust GOOGLE’s python script with SuperUser privileges after they secretly installed junk on my computer in the first place???

    My version of the python script uses the keyword “nuke” instead of “uninstall”. Google’s coders apparently have the emotional mentality of 15yo nerds in the war room at NORAD. (At least they comment their scripts though! ;-)
    If you want to see the code you’ll be running if you do the above mentioned “fix”, you can run this from a Terminal window:

    /Applications/TextEdit.app/Contents/MacOS/TextEdit ~/Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle/Contents/Resources/GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent.app/Contents/Resources/install.py

    Note the comment in their own python script:

    Note we delete the bundle, NOT the $ROOT/Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate directory, so that all tickets aren't blown away on upgrade/install.

    So, even if you “uninstall” their crap, you are still left with remnants of Google on your hard drive. Sure, it’s only a little over a megabyte of junk, but I don’t like this.

    Personally, I’m just going to avoid using ANY more Google software and totally wipe their presence from my computer. here’s how:

    sudo rm -fr ~/Library/Google /Library/Google

    Bye bye jerks.

  4. captain Reply 13 May 2009 at 11:15

    Actually, it looks like the “–nuke” keyword MIGHT remove all of Google’s secret doings. I don’t have time to read all the code and figure it out, but it looks like Google may have installed some plist files too that need to be removed for a truly cleaned system. AAARGH. :-(

    Apple apps should be totally self-contained. When we’re done, drag & drop to the trash and begone. This Windoze paradigm stinks, and now I see that it’s no wonder my OSX machines have become as flaky as a windoze box.

  5. navigator Reply 16 Jul 2009 at 16:02

    For the past week, every day I find my MacBook slowing to crawl only to find that Google Update is chewing up memory/cpu. bye bye Google update.

  6. nelson Tabilo Ayala Reply 20 Nov 2009 at 11:37

    THANKS!!!!

Afrigator